U.S. inflation · 1998–2015
$100 in 1998 has the same buying power as
$145
in 2015
| Cumulative price change | 45.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.23% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $145 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $45.41 |
| CPI in 1998 | 163 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
| Inflation in 1998 | 1.56% |
| Inflation in 2015 | 0.12% |
| $100 in 1998 → 2015 | $145 |
| $100 in 2015 → 1998 | $68.77 |
Between 1998 and 2015, the Consumer Price Index went from 163 to 237.017. Cumulatively, prices increased 45.4%, which works out to an average of 2.23% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1998 bought what $0.69 buys in 2015.
| Amount in 1998 | Value in 2015 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.45 |
| $5.00 | $7.27 |
| $10.00 | $14.54 |
| $20.00 | $29.08 |
| $50.00 | $72.70 |
| $100 | $145 |
| $500 | $727 |
| $1,000 | $1,454 |
| $5,000 | $7,270 |
| $10,000 | $14,541 |
| $100,000 | $145,409 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,454,092 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1998 spending costs in 2015, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1998 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.23% | $145 |
| Energy | 4.07% | $197 |
| Medical care | 3.67% | $185 |
| Food | 2.57% | $154 |
| Housing | 2.35% | $148 |
| Transportation | 2.02% | $141 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.99% | $140 |
| Education & communication | 1.90% | $138 |
| Recreation | 0.81% | $115 |
| Apparel | -0.32% | $94.66 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $100 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $102 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $106 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $109 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $110 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $113 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $116 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $120 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $124 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $127 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $132 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $132 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $134 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $138 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $141 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $143 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $145 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $145 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1998 to 2015: $100 is worth $145 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1998-to-2015/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1998 to 2015. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1998-to-2015/
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0; category indexes listed on the data sources page). See how these numbers are calculated.